NASCAR: Five dark horse drivers who could win at Bristol
By Asher Fair
Erik Jones, Furniture Row Racing, No. 77 Toyota
Like with Daniel Suarez, we are getting to the point where Erik Jones can no longer really be considered a dark horse driver. Jones currently leads Daniel Suarez by a slight margin in the Rookie of the Year standings, but that battle is a back and forth battle that either driver could still win. Jones, like Suarez, however, is currently on the outside looking in in terms of the playoff picture.
As far as Jones contending at Bristol goes, he has only driven one race at Bristol, that being the race held there earlier this season. He finished in 17th place, one spot ahead of Suarez. At that point in time, his career-high finish was only an 8th place effort at Phoenix. Since then, he has developed into a regular race contender and will certainly be a driver to watch out for this weekend.
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Over the past 10 races, Jones has finished in the top 10 six times with two career-high 3rd place finishes at Pocono and Michigan. Five of those top 10 finishes have come in the last seven races. He is also currently on a three-race top 10 streak, which includes his 3rd place finish at Michigan last weekend.
Given the fact that his Furniture Row Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. is blowing everyone away in the championship standings, stage points and playoff points, Jones certainly has the car to pull of a victory this weekend, especially given the facts that he appears to be heating up and Toyota has been winning lots of races recently.
And, by the way, Jones just took pole for the race, so while he still may fly under the radar as a true race contender, he will certainly be in a good position to race for his first career Cup Series win this weekend.
Next: 5 drivers most likely to win at Bristol
Which dark horse do you think could contend for the win at Bristol this weekend? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on both Instagram and Twitter. Also, don’t forget to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions, and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it.